


In the Morning

by SkyWrite



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Poisoning, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 19:59:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1911849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyWrite/pseuds/SkyWrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Blades are tired of waiting on the dovahkiin to finish off the dragon who resides on the Throat of the World. They take matters into their own hands. Unfortunately for them, the dragonborn anticipated they would try.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Very misleading summary. Please don't hate me. I love Paarthurnax, so naturally I needed a sickfic. I'm a weird and horrible person I know.  
> 

He deposited his kill on the relatively flat part of the top of the mountain, and slowly began to sate his hunger. He didn't eat often, as during meditation, the calmness of his spirit often neglected to remind him that he still needed sustenance. Also, because hunting in the lower regions of the mountain or the valley always carried the risk that he might be seen and attacked.  


He bit into the still-warm flesh of the goat with no real pleasure. If he still listened to his hungers in the way his brother did, he would have sought out larger, tastier prey and simply killed anyone who happened upon him, but alas, the life he had chosen for himself prevented him from doing so. The flesh tasted strange at first, but he quickly brushed it off as irrelevant.  
In almost no time at all, half his body was seized with paralysis and pain that racked his insides and sent spots blazing across his vision. The flesh of his kill must have been poisoned. He knew he should feel more alarmed, should try to seek help, but the numbness of his muscles and the agony in his belly rendered him helpless and lying prone at the top of the mountain, utterly unable to move or speak.  


After an indeterminate amount of time, he saw figures approaching at the edge of his fuzzy vision. As they drew closer, he could make out the form of a woman, blond haired and armored, with a man in humble cloth at her side. "Your concoction appears to have worked." The woman spoke to the man, grinning down at the old dovah with a predatory gleam in her eyes. "He looks pathetic. Time to finish the job." She reached over her shoulder, drawing a blade and raising it high above her head, intending to bring it down into his neck, he supposed.  
He tried to turn his head, to resist in some small way at least, but his wings barely fluttered and his vision darkened for a moment in the effort. Suddenly though he heard the woman cry out in pain, and managed to force his eyes open again. She had been struck in the shoulder with a spike of ice, and she and the man spun to face their attacker.  
The dovahkiin, one of the few whom Paarthurnax would consider a friend, charged up the mountain path, calling out in anger towards the woman and man who had been about to end his life.  


"Delphine! Esbern! Step away from him or I will not hesitate to end you now!" She sounded furious.  
"How did you know??" The woman, Delphine, screeched back at the small mage, sounding equally as furious, not to mention bewildered. "This can't be coincidence! You knew we were coming somehow didn't you??"  
"I said step away!" The girl Shouted, in Dragon Tongue, throwing the two back against the hard wall of the mountain. The man, Esbern, groaned before limply falling unconscious. Delphine seethed with hatred as the tiny dovahkiin stood over her.  
"We were fools to trust you. You have betrayed all of Skyrim."  
"For protecting an ally?" The girl asked acidly. "I've been tracking you for a while now. I knew that if I refused to kill Paarthurnax myself you would eventually seek another way to take his life. I'll not kill you this day, but if I ever find you on this mountain again, then I will. You would be ill advised to hang around any longer, but first you will give me the antidote to whatever poison you've dosed him with."  
"That beast deserves to die!"  
"The antidote. NOW Delphine!"  


He wished he could interfere, could do something other than lie here powerless, but as he tried to move again, all he managed was a weak groan. The dovahkiin briefly met his gaze and he saw pained concern and fierce protectiveness there. If he had not been so ill, he would have laughed. The physically delicate dovahkiin, protective of him, the ancient and powerful dovah?  


"I don't have the antidote." Delphine said with vicious satisfaction. "One exists, yes, but we didn't bother brewing a supply to bring with us."  
"Get off this mountain before I kill you both." Despite herself, the girl's tone made Delphine shiver. Dragging Esbern's arm over her shoulders, she slowly started down the mountain, the dovahkiin glaring at them all the way.  


As soon as the man and woman had left, the dovahkiin hurried to his side, frantically trying to see exactly what had happened. "Paarthurnax? Can you hear me? Say something! Can you tell me what's wrong?"  
"Paralysis…" He managed to breathe, "Pain… dark vision…" He didn't know if she could help. The poison was steadily working through his system.  
"Where does it hurt, Paarthurnax?" The dovahkiin felt his face as though she were trying to check for fever. Through the fear on her face he saw the concern grow.  
"Belly… wings…"  


She ran her hands gently over his wings, which were twitching uncontrollably as muscles contracted and released against his will. She then moved lower down his body, feeling his abdomen, and her expression turned downright grim. She moved back to his head.  
"Paarthurnax, your belly is swollen and you're terribly fevered. This must mean that the poison is one that you ingested, is that right?" He managed a weak nod, and that's finally when she noticed the half-eaten carcass of the goat, half covered in snow, and she swore under her breath. "They must have poisoned the animals on the mountain, knowing you'd have to eat sometime…" As she was speaking, she was rummaging through her pack. She pulled out a dark bottle, pulled the stopper, and looked at him apologetically. "This will make you vomit whatever it is that's hurting you. I know it will be unpleasant, but seeing as we don't have the antidote, it may be the only way…"  


He wearily opened his mouth and she coaxed the potion down his throat. She downed a draught of strength herself, and helped him maneuver into a position where he could point his face over a small cliff. They waited for the inevitable, and she stroked the spines along his face and murmured apologies and reassurances.  
They didn't have to wait long, as his body violently rejected the potion she'd given him, along with the poisoned meat of the goat and several mouthfuls of blood. At last he lay in an exhausted heap, still in a great deal of pain and still weak but nowhere near as he was before. His vision slowly cleared, and the tiny dovahkiin pulled his head into her lap and continued comforting him as best she could.  


After a while, when he was more aware of his surroundings, he turned his head to the side so he could look into her face. There were tears on her cheeks but she did her best to smile at him.  
"Those two joor asked you to kill me?" He questioned. "Why did you not mention it?"  
The dovahkiin shook her head. "Because I told them I wouldn't do it."  
He pondered this for a minute and felt warmth curl around his ancient heart. He coughed a bit, then spoke again, "You honor me with your loyalty. I do not deserve it."  
"Of course you do." She murmured, brushing her fingers along the soft scales on his snout. "Skyrim would have been destroyed without your help. People like Delphine and Esbern just can't be bothered to see past what you are to who you are."  
She kept surprising him with her compassion. Pain radiated in his side briefly and he couldn't bite back another groan.  
"Paarthurnax?" She questioned worriedly. "Does it still hurt?"  
"It may be some time before I am recovered." He admitted slowly.  


She gently maneuvered his head from her lap and he laid his cheek in the pleasantly cool snow. The tiny dovahkiin felt his wings again, but they were no longer convulsing sporadically. She tucked them carefully onto his back, and moved to his side, running her hands over the scales that coated his belly. "I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner… I had assumed they'd take a more direct approach…"  
"This is not your fault dovahkiin." The old dragon huffed.  
"Do you think any of the Greybeards could help? They've known you longer than I have." She looked at him hopefully, but her face fell as he shook his head slightly.  
"They have never seen me sick or injured." He snorted. "I admit its nothing short of humiliating to be seen in such dismal condition."  
If nothing else, this only seemed to increase the worry in her eyes. "I didn't think about that… I'm sorry. I can leave if you want me to? I think you're out of danger…"  
He considered for a moment. "Do you want to leave?" She shook her head; he had guessed as much. "Then there's really no point. If you had not been here, regardless I doubt I would have made it." His belly contracted again in pain and he hissed softly, wondering when the torment would end.  


The dovahkiin wrung her hands in exasperation. "I wish there was something that could help… I don't really want to try to administer another potion again so soon though, I…" An idea seemed to strike her. Soon she was busy with something that he could only hope would be successful in easing the pain, and he closed his eyes, dozing lightly.  
When he opened his eyes again, she was using a metal tool to spread gravel on the ground beside him, a fire burning behind her. She had taken to leaving firewood in a small pile at the top of the mountain, as she came to visit him as frequently as she could. When he first asked her about it, she said she enjoyed his company and could remain longer if she had something to keep warm by. The answer had unexpectedly pleased him.  


"What are you doing?" He asked sleepily, and she smiled slightly past the worry in her eyes.  
"I heated this gravel in the fire. I think, if you were able to lay on top of it, the warmth might help take the edge off any discomfort you're still feeling…"  
He moved shakily to his feet, and she quickly moved to his head, helping to guide him over so he could stretch out on the warm stones. Immediately the pain began to subside as the heat relaxed his muscles. He didn't bother to suppress a sigh of relief. When he looked into the eyes of the dovahkiin again, her smile was more genuine than forced as it had been earlier. She moved back to his front, settling herself in the crook of his neck behind his head, and began stroking him again.  


"I have to ask dovahkiin." His voice held a bit of humor, which encouraged her, "Are you doing that for my sake or yours?'  
She laughed sheepishly. "Mine, I guess. When I got to the top of the path earlier and saw you lying on the ground like that I thought I was too late and you were already gone." Her hand trembled against his scales. "Am I bothering you?"  
"No. It is pleasant." He assured her, and she resumed the soothing motion. "Am I to take it then that you would be disappointed to lose me?" The question was half teasing, half serious. She exhaled slowly.  


"I would be more than disappointed, Paarthurnax. I would grieve." She said this gravely and he felt a little guilty for the jibe. "I know it seems foolish of me, but if it would not offend you for my saying it, I have to admit that I've come to care for you."  
"Why would that offend me?"  
She hesitated a moment before she answered. "Dragons don't… seem like very emotional creatures. Other than anger, I suppose."  
He laughed softly. "Usually, they're not. But since beating back my own natural surges of anger, I found my soul has made room for other emotions in place of it. It pleases me to know that you care for my wellbeing."  


She smiled warmly. "Well that's good then." She paused, then continued. "I think I should stay with you tonight, but if you feel better by morning I'm going down to High Hrothgar to see if I can brew an effective antidote. You might not be able to recover fully until the proper medicine is administered. I could send someone else up to look after you, if you'd like?"  
He shook his head. "While I appreciate your company and care, I don't have a particular desire for any others to see my disgrace."  
She gently hugged his neck. "Oh Paarthurnax, it's not disgrace really. No one could blame you for the treachery of those who wish you harm."  
"I believe the proper joor saying is, 'That's easy for you to say.'" She laughed and he was heartened to hear the lightness return to her voice. "I have caused you a great deal of distress this evening…"  


"She leaned back against his side and began tracing over his scales again. "It doesn't matter. It's more important to me that you're safe."  
He managed one of his rare smiles and curled his face closer to the fire.  
A soft whisper in his ear, "See you in the morning, Paarthurnax."

He shifted his weight miserably. The stones beneath him had long cooled while he had slept and though the pain wasn't as strong as the night before, it had returned to curl maliciously in his belly and sides. He didn't like this ongoing weakness and hoped the dovahkiin would be able to create the antidote. He slowly lifted his head and blinked in the cold light of morning.  
The fire had been banked to keep the coals alive, but the dovahkiin wasn't anywhere in sight. He felt a bit disappointed, but decided she must have wanted to hurry in case he became ill again, which admittedly he was beginning to feel might be the case. He shifted again, then laid his face back into the snow.  


Not much time had passed before a distant figure could be spotted on the mountain path. His excellent hearing picked up the approach, and he lifted his gaze expectantly, only to blink in distrust as the humanoid shape was too large to be the tiny dovahkiin. He felt humiliation creep into his expression as he recognized Arngeir.  
His student held his hands up as he came closer. "Don't blame the girl, she had little choice but to explain when she asked for alchemy equipment. She did her best to tell me you'd rather be left in peace, but I didn't listen." The old man smirked gently. For all the respect he generally showed his master, he could be a bit audacious at times.  


Paarthurnax flicked his tail uneasily. "Why have you come?"  
The smile fell away from the old man's face. "We wanted to be sure you really were all right. The dovahkiin couldn't hide her agitation despite the reassurances she offered us. She's greatly concerned for you."  


The old dovah sighed. "I realized. She gives me comfort that I do not deserve. But what she said is true, at least for the moment, I appear to be in no immediate danger." He grimaced. "Though I hope her attempt to create the counter to the poison is successful."  
"Did she kill your attackers?" Arngeir asked, his tone uncharacteristically eager. It took great provocation before the Greybeards would wish harm on another.  
"No. She promised them death if they ever came near this mountain again, however."  
"She is too merciful for her own good."  
"Indeed. The one called Lydia, one of her companions, said nearly the same."  


Arngeir paused for a moment to consider his next words. "Had you known before last night that the Blades wished death on you?"  
Paarthurnax snorted. "I had assumed as much. What I didn't know is that originally they had ordered the dovahkiin to carry it out."  
His student nodded gravely. "She was very upset when she came to us about the matter." Seeing his master's expression, he sighed. "Yes, she told us. I admit I spoke unkindly to her when she first mentioned she was working with the Blades. I think she's always known better than to trust them implicitly, but I still thought they would be able to control her if she got in too deep. I suppose I should have known that no one can control someone with a dragon's soul." He smiled fondly. "I may perhaps still owe her an apology. It was clear my earlier words hurt her, and her sense of honor as well. I believe she thinks highly of my opinion, but thankfully, clearly didn't think much of Delphine's in the end."  


"Thankfully." The old dovah agreed. "Pay heed to my words, Arngeir. The girl is indeed powerful, has already saved this world once, but she is still young and impressionable. She seeks the noble path as best she can, but I know she would be grateful for further guidance. Do not turn her away if she asks for advice."  
His student shook his head. "I won't. None of us would. Now that we know that she can be trusted I daresay that we would all be eager for the chance to offer her help."  


Paarthurnax dipped his head. "I am sure she would appreciate such a gesture. Thank you for your concern in coming to see me." Arngeir bowed as well. "I will leave you in peace, master." 

It was much later in the day when the dovahkiin finally returned. The antidote must have been difficult to make, but at last she emerged from the misty mountain path, tired but triumphant. The old dovah woke again at the sound of her approach.  


"Here, I've got it!" She hastened to his side, where he was still curled up in the snow. "Open up, there we go…" She tilted the bottle into his mouth. Almost immediately after swallowing, the pain vanished from his body and the last few restless convulsions in his muscles disappeared. He laid his chin on the ground in exhausted relief. "Thank you dovahkiin."  
"You're welcome." She said, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She knelt in the snow to embrace him. "I'm so glad you're okay now."  


He chuckled. "You worry over things too much. I am not certain how much stress your little body can take."  
She huffed. "I don't know why I hang out with you and the Greybeards. All I ever hear is jokes about my size." But her grin belied her offended tone. A moment passed, and then she rose to began building up the fire again, which had gone out.  


"Are you planning to stay?" He asked, a bit surprised.  
"Yol…" She breathed on the wood, igniting it. "Not if you'd rather be left alone." He shook his head, signifying that he didn't mind if she stayed. "Just one more night however, just to make that nothing else goes wrong. I told Lydia to meet me in Riverwood, and knowing her, she'll be frantic if I don't make it there by the end of the week." The dovahkiin smiled fondly as she spoke of her companion.  
She came back to sit against his side, and he welcomed her by curling the tip of his wing over her small feet. "I know you probably don't want to think of it right now…" she began, "but you do still need to eat something, and probably soon."  


The old dovah sighed. "Yes, I doubt any weakness will linger come morning. I will hunt again, this time further from the base of the mountain. The Dragonslayers can't have poisoned every animal in the land; they would have only stayed within what they would assume to be my hunting grounds."  
"Sounds good…" The dovahkiin yawned despite herself.  
"You're tired." It wasn't a question, but she answered anyways.  
"A bit, yeah." She blinked sleepily at the fire. He huffed, his warm dragon breath puffing across her face. She laughed and batted playfully at his snout.  


"Go to sleep, dovahkiin."  
"No way. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you."  
He covered her further with his wing. "I am strong enough now that you need not watch me constantly. Go to sleep."  
"I suppose…" But he did not hear the end of her sentence as she dropped off, too exhausted to stay awake any longer. He smirked and laid his chin on the ground, also giving into the rest he knew he still needed.  


"In the words of the joor… I will see you come morning."


End file.
